Colgate University administrators made a formal request that the student organization Colgate Students for Liberation (CSL) postpone their approved vigil from Oct. 7 – the anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel – after Jewish students and community members expressed concerns about the date’s symbolism. The incident has sparked discussion about how universities balance community sensitivities with student autonomy, and what role external advocacy should play when concerns arise about approved student events.

On Sunday, Oct. 5, Dean of Students Dorsey Spencer reached out to CSL requesting they postpone the vigil. University President Brian W. Casey sent a similar request the next day on Monday, Oct. 6. The vigil had been scheduled for the following day on Tuesday, Oct. 7. The source of concern was the significance of the date – Oct. 7 – as the anniversary of the attacks carried out in southern Israel by Hamas and accompanying militant groups during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.

“I write today to ask formally that you move the date for your event, given the understandable sensitivities surrounding this anniversary, and the effect that the timing of this event might have on many members of this community,” Casey wrote in the Oct. 6 email. “I know that you have followed the University’s rules in gaining approval for this event, and that you have worked very hard in the past to ensure that your previous efforts avoided harm to our campus community, including warning participants to avoid any appearance of antisemitism, for which I am very grateful. But I feel the need to reach out today to ask that you consider, with the same thoughtfulness you have shown in the past, the impact of scheduling an event on October 7. Scheduling an event on this day runs the risk of undoing that care.”

In his email, Casey reaffirmed his support for CSL’s rights to free speech and assembly, but cited a section of the University’s Report on the Task Force on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression emphasizing community sensitivity to support his request for a date change.

CSL underwent the necessary approval processes from the Budget Allocation Committee (BAC) and its ALANA advisor for this event. The group promoted the vigil through an Instagram post captioned, “Join us this Tuesday to mourn the lives lost in Palestine.” However, the planned date quickly became a point of contention. Casey noted that he had already received messages from students who were distressed by the timing of the vigil.

“I have already responded to several messages from students who, while firmly agreeing that all groups have a right to speak about the events in the Middle East, have experienced real anguish over the proposed timing of this event,” Casey wrote in the Oct. 6 email. 

Junior Lily Gamburg, who was among those troubled by the original vigil date, reflected on the complexity of balancing competing concerns.

“It’s a bit of a strange feeling because it is understandable why CSL would want to hold this vigil on [Oct. 7], but it diminishes the actual context of what happened — like at the Nova Festival — and the trauma that comes with that for Jewish people around the world,” Gamburg said. “I personally believe that time should be focused on the victims of the massacre and their families. It’s honestly just uncomfortable because obviously people are allowed to mourn all victims of the war, but to me it feels wrong to do so on that particular date. On the other hand, it also feels wrong to tell people when they are allowed to do so. It’s a highly complicated situation, made even more contentious by the immense grief people are feeling.”

Several concerned students and alumni contacted the administration, including junior Noah Dry, president of the student board of Hamilton’s local Chabad chapter. Messages obtained by The Colgate Maroon-News from a Chabad group chat show that advocacy regarding the vigil was discussed among members before the administration reached out to CSL. In an Oct. 5 message, Dry wrote that he had “reached out to President Casey together with staff at ALANA outlining why hosting a Palestinian vigil on [Oct. 7] specifically would be profoundly inappropriate and disrespectful.”

When asked about his contact with the administration, Dry confirmed he reached out to express concerns shared by community members.

“Regardless of if it was their intent or not, choosing Oct. 7 to host a ‘Vigil for Palestine’ risked politicizing and minimizing a now sacred day of mourning in a manner that would have been deeply hurtful to the Jewish community on campus,” Dry said. “My intention [in emailing] was not to challenge the organizers’ right to hold a vigil for Palestine, as I fully support the right of students to gather in remembrance of the innocent Palestinian lives lost during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, but attempting to hold such an event on Oct. 7 was profoundly inappropriate. Jews around the world observe Oct. 7 as a day of mourning and remembrance. It deserves the same respect as any other day commemorating victims of terror.”

Following the requests from Casey and Spencer, CSL postponed the vigil to Thursday, Oct. 9. Although the group complied, they indicated reservations about the request, interpreting the administrative intervention as an inappropriate overreach by the University into student affairs.

Senior and CSL President Natalie Yale, who was one of the students who received the emails from Casey and Spencer, addressed this concern.

“While we did feel that we had the genuine choice to decline President Casey’s request, we also want to emphasize how alarming it was to receive an email directly from the president of the institution regarding an event that we had diligently planned and scheduled through all of the required steps. Even though President Casey directly cited the academic freedom statement in his email, it was difficult to not feel undue pressure to reschedule the event,” Yale said. 

Senior Jannah Zabadi, who attended the rescheduled vigil, emphasized the presence of Palestinian experiences on campus and the significance of holding space for grief.

“Palestinian students, such as myself, exist on this campus, which means this issue is not far away, but present and visible. Our grief and that of all folks who have been impacted by the violence in Palestine should not be labeled as antisemitic because we actively acknowledge and recognize the impact on Jewish Americans, Israelis and the disproportionate effects on Palestinian people,” Zabadi said. “CSL attempted to hold a vigil on Oct. 7 to honor and remember all lives lost, not to attack or comment on the value of some lives over others. As a group, it has been difficult to host events to communally grieve or hold space and conversations, and this event was no different.”

CSL posted a flyer to Instagram with the revised date on Oct. 6, accompanied by a caption noting the change was made “per persistent request.” The revised caption also included more detail about the vigil’s purpose than their original post.  

“[CSL] reiterates the purpose of this event is to mourn all lives lost due to the attacks on October 7th by Hamas and the ongoing occupation, and the United Nations-recognized genocide of the Palestinian people. This event is a peaceful vigil; there will be speakers, poems and candles followed by a prayer to remember the lives of 1,200 civilians killed by the Hamas attacks, as well as the 66,200 Palestinians killed and nearly 170,000 wounded since then.”

The caption, responding to criticism and concerns raised, went on to reiterate what CSL saw as a distinction between mourning – the state purpose of their vigil – and protest. 

“We would like to remind everyone that this vigil is not to be conflated with a protest. We are here to make space for students who are affected by this violence and to console the discomfort by creating a space of unity. Any hate speech, false accusations, gross misunderstandings or willful ignorance is not tolerated by Colgate Students for Liberation,” CSL wrote in the Instagram caption. “We stand for all oppressed people, and with that, we affirm the space to speak the truth by advocating for those who are not able to on this campus.”

Dry acknowledged the revised post’s more inclusive language but maintained that the original Oct. 7 date remained problematic regardless of the vigil’s stated purpose.

“While I appreciate the organizers later amended the updated event on Instagram to acknowledge ‘all lives lost,’ the original post on 10/5 made no mention of Israeli victims or the mass killings that took place,” Dry said. “The initial flyer used the traditional colors of the Palestinian flag, and its caption read, ‘Join us this Tuesday to mourn the lives lost in Palestine.’”

Yale said the vigil’s intent was always to mourn all victims, including Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. 

“Our vigil was intended to mourn all of the lives lost in the occupied lands of Palestine, which we believe includes the loss of Israeli life on Oct. 7, 2023,” Yale said. “We expressed this to President Casey in our email response to him, and later at a dinner meeting we had with him and [Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President] Hazel Jack.”

Dry said that, regardless of intent, the timing itself remained the issue.

“Personally, I was, and remain, horrified by the war that has unfolded since the massacre on Oct. 7, and I favor spaces to mourn and grieve all of its victims,” Dry said. “However, scheduling an event to mourn Palestinian lives solely and specifically on the anniversary of Oct. 7, a day of immense trauma for the Jewish community, left many Jewish students feeling unsafe. Thus, I struggled to understand how the timing of this vigil would have fostered a unifying or productive atmosphere for the Colgate community.”

Dry said these were the concerns he conveyed to Casey, and that he appreciated the administration’s response.  

Spencer independently reached out to CSL with the same request that they postpone the vigil. He confirmed that his email was not coordinated with Casey’s office.

“October 7 carries a significant and emotionally charged association … Holding your vigil on that specific date may unintentionally signal an endorsement of those tragic events,” Spencer wrote in the Oct. 5 email.

In the email, Spencer also emphasized that his intention was not to question the purpose or integrity of CSL’s program. 

“I want to ensure that your message – one centered on honoring lives lost and advancing compassion – is received with the understanding and respect it deserves. Choosing another date, even a day or two later, would likely create more space for that and avoid misunderstanding about your intentions with this vigil,” Spencer wrote. 

Spencer clarified that if CSL decided to explore an alternative date, his office and ALANA would fully support making any necessary changes and relaying updates to the community. However, he ultimately reaffirmed CSL’s right to maintain the original date. 

“If you and your group decide to explore another date, my office and our colleague in ALANA will fully support you in making that change, including communicating updates to any partners or stakeholders. If you choose to keep the original date, I encourage you to be thoughtful about framing, language, and being prepared for potential responses that are likely,” Spencer wrote. “Either way, I want you to feel supported and prepared. I also want to be in the best position to support this vigil and its aims, although holding it on October 7th may make it harder to support because of the symbolism of that day for Israel.” 

Spencer later explained why he sent the email.

“I understood that the group’s intent was to remember lives lost … yet I was concerned that holding the event on that specific date could obscure their message of peace and remembrance,” Spencer said.

He added that no outside organizations contacted him about the vigil, and that his caution was preventative rather than reactive.

“Ultimately, I believe the process worked as it should. CSL followed the established event approval process, and I engaged appropriately by reaching out to express a concern and offer dialogue. They chose not to meet, which was their right, and the matter ended there,” Spencer said. 

The rescheduled vigil proceeded on Thursday, Oct. 9. Zabadi said that the date change altered the event’s meaning.

“I was aware that the vigil was moved due to pressure from administrators, parents, and students. It did not affect my decision to attend, but it did change the meaning of the event. As an organization, CSL has fought for recognition, understanding and compassion from the administration, parents and students. The intention and the impact are in no way harmful or disrespectful, but actively attempting to include and lift up all voices pertaining to issues of liberation,” Zabadi said. 

Discussions surrounding the vigil’s timing and its date change continue to shape conversations on campus about remembrance, community responsibility and freedom of expression.